OpTic Gaming: ZooMaa Subs in for Dashy

The CWL Pro League has officially kicked off, and many fans are excited to finally see their favourite teams in Competitive action.One of the biggest stories to emerge recently involves fan favourite team OpTic Gaming, with their League substitute Thomas ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto forced into the starting five-man squad.

The issue arises over CWL Las Vegas MVP, Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell failing to finalise his VIAS due to complications. As a Canadian native, Dashy would have to secure a VISA in order to temporarily relocate to Columbus and compete in the Pro League. Team mate Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow has also suffered similar setbacks in the past as a fellow Canadian.

What has resulted is on-loan FaZe Clan player ZooMaa finding himself in the starting five man lineup. FaZe have confirmed he will be participating under the OpTic name for a two week period, meaning ZooMaa will play in all seven of OpTic Gaming’s Division A match ups.

The change has raised many questions in the Call of Duty Competitive community, with many wondering how ZooMaa will fit into the squad. It is unclear what role he will adopt; it is possible he will pick up Dashy’s vacant Maddox, but some have suggested he may operate with his familiar Saug in hand, forcing Scump to a Maddox. This may cause concern for the squad, as they have yet to gain valuable practice with ZooMaa.

Image Courtesy of CWL

The burning question, however, is can ZooMaa fill the void Dashy is leaving behind. Dashy has made a blistering start to the CWL season, picking up the MVP award at CWL Las Vegas with a tournament high 1.44 Kill/Death Ratio and a first place finish. In contrast, ZooMaa put up an abysmal K/D of 0.82 at the same event, uncharacteristic for the talented SMG player, and finishing in 13-16th.

What followed for ZooMaa was a miserable Pro League Qualifier for FaZe Clan, as they shockingly failed to qualify for the Pro League. His K/D improved slightly to a 1.05, but still far off the high standards set by Dashy.

Dashy has since Tweeted saying ‘#1 #Greenwall cheerleader in the stream’, showing his support for his team mates as they prepare for a tough week of Pro League matches, starting with Midnight Esports on Monday night.

Do you think ZooMaa can put in a good performance? Do you think OpTic Gaming can still perform in his absence? Let us know your thoughts!

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